One of America’s most distinguished personalities, opera singer Beverly Sills, known by some as "Bubbles," or "the diva next door," died Monday night of lung cancer, her manager, Edgar Vincent, said. She had never been a smoker.

Weeks after she was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, the 78-year-old Brooklyn-born diva passed away at around 9 p.m. at her Manhattan home, surrounded by her family and doctor.

Born Belle Miriam Silverman, began her career early, at the age of 3 when she was named Brooklyn's "Miss Beautiful Baby 1932." At age 4, she was a regular on the Rainbow House radio show, and at 7 she sang in a film.

However, she debuted as an opera singer in 1947, in Philadelphia, but her professional career kicked off in 1955 when an impresario at the City Opera of New York signed her in.

Throughout her career, she frequently appeared on "The Tonight Show," "The Muppet Show" and in televised performances with her friend Carol Burnett.

Although she retired from singing at the age of 51, in 1980, she was never out of the spotlight; her infectious laughter filled the nation’s living rooms as she hosted live TV broadcasts, proving opera wasn’t all about "fat ladies with horned helmets."

"She was so down-to-earth, so approachable and so human," said San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley. "And because she was a star, she brought people who had no interest in opera into the opera. They loved Beverly the personality, and so they wanted to see Beverly the singer."